Letters: Dole and port

U-T Letters

In response to “In Dole deal, port ignores its business plan” (Editorials, utsandiego.com, Aug. 13): The truth: The Dole lease renewal actually fulfills a major component of the Maritime Business Plan. The plan calls for retaining and growing existing specialty cargos handled at TAMT [the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal], such as the perishable products brought in by Dole. The plan emphasizes that because of the port’s strategic location as the first U.S. port on the Pacific north of Latin America and other Southern Hemisphere sources in the Pacific Rim.

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Perishable products will always be a core business for TAMT. Sports-entertainment centers are NOT water-dependent. We need to preserve our maritime land and deepwater port for water-dependent uses. The Port of San Diego is a great success story because it has diverse base of uses, such as visitor- and community-serving parks, harbor tours/museums, marine recreation, sports and commercial fishing, marine industrial, shipbuilding and repair that assist the Navy to homeport here in San Diego, and maritime! – Sharon Bernie-Cloward, president, San Diego Port Tenants Association

San Diego-based Carturner Inc. is the world’s largest manufacturer of stainless-steel turntables for cars. We ship a 2,000-pound package. We have shipped to 16 foreign countries in the last year. We have NEVER shipped from the Port of San Diego. Why? Because the price is DOUBLE the cost of shipping through L.A. It is far, far cheaper to truck to L.A. than use the Port of San Diego.

Double? What gives?

If the port cannot do any better than double, is it really a viable port? Shouldn’t we build a rail line to the port of L.A. and use the land for something more valuable? – Bill Schwenker, San Diego

Your editorial “Port shows its bad faith yet again” (utsandiego.com, Aug. 11) misses the point. That’s too bad, because regardless of your position on the stadium, the Chargers or waterfront development; the new Dole contract exemplifies San Diego can compete in the International Market.

The fact of the matter is that the 25-year lease with the Dole Fresh Fruit Co. sends a strong and important signal that San Diego’s maritime industry is strong and getting stronger. Dole is one of the largest and most respected maritime participants in the country, even possessing its own ships. Its renewed commitment to San Diego is a beacon from our waterfront to other major shipping businesses that San Diego is and will continue as the place to be for maritime trade in the future.

Even simpler to understand, Dole itself, with this lease, now has the port commitment as well as the marine terminal space to expand its San Diego operations significantly, which is exactly what we expect over the next few years. The port is fulfilling its mission with this lease and we applaud it for that. – Ed Plant, Working Waterfront Group